Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vacuum processing unit and apparatus, and, more particularly, to a vacuum processing unit and apparatus adapted to the manufacture of semiconductor integrated circuit elements, such as dry etching devices as represented by plasma etching devices, reactive sputter etching devices or microwave etching devices, and plasma CVD devices, sputtering devices, or the like.
In recent years, processing techniques for manufacturing semiconductor integrated circuit elements has developed remarkably. For instance, a dry etching device that is capable of processing patterns of the order of 1 .mu.m attracting attention. As the patterns become so fine, the semiconductor element substrates (hereinafter referred to as substrate) tend to have a large diameter. Therefore, it is a difficult task to increase the output, i.e., number of substrates processed per unit time per floor area occupied by the apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor devices, and to perform the various techniques in the manufacturing process.
To satisfy such requirements, it is necessary to reduce the size of the apparatus, and to perform multipurpose processing using a plurality of processing chambers. Moreover, there has been a demand for a vacuum processing module which permits the number of processing chambers to be freely changed to constitute or assemble a system to cope with a change in the process or to cope with a change in the manufacturing line.
According to a conventional apparatus with an increased number of modules consisting of a processing chamber and a substrate carrier line in the open air as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 128928/1982, the substrate is carried to the next processing chamber exposed to air that may not be very clean. Therefore, this apparatus is not adapted to the process which, during the processing operation, hands the process over to the next processing chamber.
Further, according to an apparatus in which the substrates are carried between several processing chambers and one buffer chamber, and are continuously processed such as disclosed, for example in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 39430/1982, the number of processing chambers is fixed. That is, it is not permissible to change the number of processing chambers in response to a change in the process or the change in the manufacturing line. This is a great inconvenience.
The object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum processing unit and apparatus which permits the number of processing chambers to be freely changed to constitute or assemble the system to cope with a change in the process or a change in the line.
In accordance with the present invention, a vacuum processing unit is proposed which includes a processing chamber which processes a sample under a vacuum, and a buffer chamber which is adapted to be evacuated and adapted to communicate with the processing chamber. A vacuum pre-chamber is provided in the buffer chamber by way of a vacuum opening/closing means. A sample carrier means is provided which carries the sample between the vacuum prechamber and the buffer chamber, inside the buffer chamber and between the buffer chamber and the processing chamber. The buffer chamber is provided with an opening which can be opened and closed at a place different from the place of the vacuum opening and closing means, where the sample can be removed and delivered between the sample carrier means to carry the sample inside the buffer chamber and outside of the buffer chamber.
According to the present invention, a plurality of units can be connected via an opening provided in the buffer chamber, Thus, the vacuum processing apparatus permits the number of vacuum processing chambers to be freely changed to constitute or assemble a system to cope with the change in the process or the change in the line.